STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - With a 34 percent increase in domestic violence cases here in the past three years, the Staten Island District Attorney's office appears on the verge of getting the city budget allocation needed to establish a comprehensive Family Justice Center (FJC) -- the last borough to be outfitted with a one-stop safe haven for women dealing with an abusive home life.

While District Attorney Dan Donovan's office has an FJC component, it is managed by a single domestic violence coordinator, and victims on Staten Island could wind up visiting as many as five separate locations to further their case and seek help.

In recent testimony before the City Council Committee on Public Safety, Donovan said Islanders "are not receiving the same level or amount of services received by domestic violence victims in the other boroughs."

This as Donovan noted the rise of such cases on Staten Island, calling the statistics "alarming."

And over the past three years, the Island has experienced a 34 percent increase in domestic violence arrests. Of the 13,303 total arrests on Staten Island last year, 2,582 -- or 22 percent -- were DV-related.

In addition, approximately 600 misdemeanor DV cases are pending in Staten Island Criminal Court, along with approximately 30 DV indictments accounting for 19 percent of all pending indictments, according to Donovan's office.

Fully staffed FJCs were established by the city in Brooklyn (2005), Queens (2008) and the Bronx (2010). A center in Manhattan will open in September. Â

GOAL OF AN FJC Â

ÂThe goal of an FJC is to provide comprehensive services for victims of domestic violence in one location, with counselors providing safe, one-on-one, linguistically appropriate assistance, Donovan noted during his testimony, as well as coordination among service providers -- including a relocation component.

The services where full-fledged FJCs are established include on-site forensic documentation of injuries; medical and dental services; legal assistance; career counseling; child care and public benefits information.

But on Staten Island, after a meeting with the sole domestic violence counselor, Bernadette Davenport, the victim is then routed to various offices in St. George, including: that of an assistant district attorney to discuss the criminal aspects of her case; counseling services at Safe Horizon; legal civil representation from Staten Island Legal Services; information regarding food stamps from the Human Resources Administration, and Family Court to address child custody issues.

Donovan termed it an "extremely time-consuming and frustrating process" for the victims. For one thing, in addition to the trauma suffered, victims often find it logistically challenging to make their way to various locations during separate visits because of family and work-related concerns.

Donovan called expanding his office's one-person operation into a formal FJC, "where all services are contained in one location ... crucial."

While Donovan's office declined to confirm the location, the Advance learned a city-owned space being eyed for the FJC is in the St. George office building where Donovan's offices are located, at 130 Stuyvesant Place.

Yolanda Jimenez, city commissioner of the Office to Combat Domestic Violence, green-lighted establishing an FJC on Staten Island in a letter to Donovan in March -- but funding for Fiscal Year 2014, which commences July 1, has not yet been OK'd.

Donovan is looking for $1.75 million in capital money to retrofit the space, along with $306,471 in FY 2014 and $245,439 annually thereafter for staffing and other needs.

"Dan is fighting the righteous fight," said Councilman James Oddo (R-Mid-Island), dean of the Island's Council delegation, who, with Councilman Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore) and Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore), inked a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg requesting the funds.

HOMICIDES DOWN

"It is our understanding that since the inception of the city's focus on this issue, family-related homicides have declined significantly citywide, and thousands of victims now have access to the services they need when they need them," the three wrote. "...We are hopeful that this funding request, which represents an infinitesimal amount of the total city budget, will be viewed favorably."

Donovan met with Bloomberg last week to pitch creation of an FJC on Staten Island and, through his office, said it went "extremely well."

"The purpose of the meeting was to make sure that this becomes a reality while Mayor Bloomberg is still in office," said Donovan in a statement.

"I am working with the mayor's office and the City Council for funding. The location has been identified, but the particulars are still being worked on. I have the fullest confidence that before Mayor Bloomberg's mayoralty is over, Staten Island will be full on its way to having its own Family Justice Center."